The Hero Returns

Chapter 395: Chapter 395

"Sorry?"

The Tree's mom? Why was its mom suddenly being brought up in this conversation?

If such a thing was to be mentioned, then it should've been done so much sooner. Besides all that, though, a World Tree's mother, was it? Su-hyeun couldn't wrap his head around the current flow of their conversation at all.

His thoughts instantly became too complicated.

It was at that moment that Sun Wukong began guffawing at Su-hyeun's dazed expression. "Fuu…fuu-hahahaht! You're definitely my little bro, that's for sure! The exact same reaction as mine, eh?"

"Excuse me, everyone will react the same as he did when they found themselves in the same situation, you know?" Luslec retorted.

Judging from Sun Wukong's and Luslec's reactions, they seemed to have been informed of what was going on while Su-hyeun was unconscious.

And just as Su-hyeun remained sitting there in a daze for a little while…

Chwa-ruk, chwa-rururu…

The floor rose, and a small tree grew from there. This tree's vines twisted and coiled around to eventually morph into a silhouette of a person.

Sun Wukong stopped his snickering immediately. Even Luslec sucked in his breath and watched this scene unfold.

If it was only Luslec, then it would have been understandable, but even Sun Wukong, too? That made Su-hyeun also suck in his breath.

The tree that was rising up finished forming the silhouette, and then, "flesh" materialized above the brown tree before being covered up in a human-like skin.

It had turned into an actual person. Whether it was a woman or a man, it was hard to tell from its outer appearance alone. At a glance, it seemed like a handsome woman or a beautiful man—the most beautiful woman or man ever in history.

The figure that was giving off an androgynous feeling opened its eyes and stared at Su-hyeun.

Even though Su-hyeun saw a lone individual, he was sensing an indescribably vast universe spanning behind the figure. He could instinctively tell.

Gulp…

Su-hyeun was unable to remain sitting anymore and stood on his feet. "Are you…the World Tree?" he asked.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," it smiled pleasantly but did not say no to the question.

But the stupefying and vast presence emanating from the rather small figure was more than enough for Su-hyeun to confirm that, indeed, this individual was the real World Tree.

Gulp…

A sense of nervousness completely swallowed him up by now but not because he was scared or anything like that.

It was more like nervousness born out of facing a gigantic "world" that he had never encountered before. "Ah, y—yes. It's a…pleasure to meet you, too."

"Please don't be too nervous. I have no plan to harm you, nor do I possess the means to do so. I merely wished to meet the person who protected my seed. That was all."

"When you say your seed…"

"I meant this child." The World Tree looked around their surroundings. They were currently inside the false World Tree's trunk.

The "child" referred to in this case was rather obvious—a World Tree smaller than the actual one.

"But wasn't this the fal—?"

Just before Su-hyeun could finish asking if this wasn't the false World Tree, he stopped himself and smiled awkwardly.

Without a doubt, the real World Tree before him referred to the so-called "false" Tree as its child, so he couldn't help but wonder if he was stepping out of line by asking whether it was really a "false" Tree or not.

"Yes, it is indeed a false Tree. There's no need to be so jittery. For sure, this child is unlike the other World Trees, as it has been 'manufactured,' you see."

"Manufactured…?"

Su-hyeun didn't know anything about the World Tree, so he couldn't quite understand what the tree meant by that.

He knew that the "false" World Tree he was standing inside, as well as the realm this tree had created, was actually a world created by a god of some kind. At least that's what he heard.

However, the thing was, not even Luslec knew a lot about World Trees in the first place.

Was a World Tree "manufactured" or born naturally? Su-hyeun didn't even know something as elemental as that, so he would never get to fully understand what the World Tree was telling him right now.

"It is not necessary to learn the process of how this child came to be, but what is important right now is the fact that you saved this child."

"I—I see."

"Yes, you've answered my request most excellently."

Su-hyeun became puzzled when he heard the World Tree. Answered its request? When did the World Tree even request him?

Su-hyeun, standing there with a puzzled face for a little while, soon opened his eyes wide and suddenly asked, "Could it be that the system we have been hearing in this world was…?"

"Yes, I'm the one who created it. I'm unable to directly interfere in the matters of this world, you see." While saying that, the World Tree swept its gaze over its arm. "Other than creating a small body like this one."

"…"

"That's why I've been waiting for individuals such as yourselves. I feared that it was getting too late, but thankfully, you have come at the right time." The World Tree bowed its head toward Su-hyeun.

He hurriedly bowed in reply as well, as did Luslec.

Only Sun Wukong stood tall, merely lightly nodding. It seemed that he was still uncomfortable with bowing his head to someone.

"As such, I must bestow you with your reward. After all, I did make a promise."

"A reward, you say?"

If the World Tree was indeed the creator of the system of this world, according to the information regarding this world, then the final reward should be an elixir of some kind.

And that elixir was the source of energy that composed this world. In other words, it meant the false World Tree itself.

"If I could, I'd have given the reward to all three of you, but that's not possible…So, I shall give it to the person who has played the most active role."

"I don't need it, actually. I'm only tagging along to hand that reward over to Mister Su-hyeun in the first place, you see."

"I also don't need it. I've already eaten way too many elixirs by now."

Both Luslec and Sun Wukong expressed their refusal.

The World Tree smiled faintly at the two men quickly refusing the heavenly elixir. It then addressed Sun Wukong, "But this elixir is rather different from the ones you've already consumed. The Peach of Immortality is indeed an excellent elixir worthy of being called the fruit of the gods, but even the gods are tempted by my elixir, you know?"

Creak, gugugu…

As the World Tree continued to speak, another tree rose from the floor. This small tree quickly began sprouting some leaves, and soon, a small seed appeared on one of the leaves.

"This is a seed of the next World Tree."

"Sorry?"

"A seed?"

"What's that?"

Sun Wukong stood there in confusion, so Luslec leaned over and whispered in his ear, "That is the genesis of the vast universe standing right before our eyes."

"Genesis of the universe? What…?"

Other than the matters involving fighting, Sun Wukong was rather simple in nature when it came to everything else, so he couldn't figure out what that was all about.

The universe and the genesis of a realm—that was the World Tree's seed.

Such a seed was the genesis that went on to become a small realm first, which would eventually branch out to many other massive realms, and this was the reward of this mission—the fabled elixir.

"Is it really okay for me to accept this?" Su-hyeun asked in a tense voice.

It was always better to have the biggest possible reward, but this was on another scale altogether.

There was simply no way that a World Tree's seed was a common item. Just one of these could grow up to become a single world, and when a realm was created in such a way, countless life forms would start living in it as well, just like Earth, the planet he lived on, or many other worlds he came across during his trials.

But the moment he received that seed, the potential bud that would become such worlds would be gone. Something like that was a burden beyond one's comprehension.

"Don't be too burdened by it. You shouldn't worry about the ones that haven't come to exist yet. Focus more on saving the ones who are alive right now."

Shu-wuwuk…

The leaf widened, and the seed within fell. Su-hyeun reflexively reached out and caught the falling seed.

A brownish hue began appearing over the World Tree's skin. Now that it had handed the reward, it was planning to return. "It's up to you on how to use that seed. However, the responsibility of dealing with what happens after you consume it also lies with you. Don't forget that."

Crack, split…

The World Tree's mouth area hardened. As if it was a sculpted doll made from a block of wood, the Word Tree's silhouette reverted to being a tree.

Su-hyeun tightly grasped the jewel-like seed that shone in a verdant color.

[You have completed the final mission.]

[You shall be sent back to your original worlds in five minutes.]

"Uh? What's this?"

"So suddenly, too?"

Luslec and Sun Wukong muttered, flustered.

Out of the duo, Sun Wukong's fluster was visibly greater. He hadn't gone back even though he had already passed his assigned trial, but now, he had no choice but to part ways with Su-hyeun in five minutes.

However, Sun Wukong calmed down soon enough and scratched his head before nodding in a disinterested manner. "Well, there's no need for a drawn-out goodbye, anyway."

"Third brother…"

"Hey, man. Why are you making such a face? This won't be our last meeting, you know. We'll definitely see each other again later, right?" Sun Wukong smirked deeply, "Next time, all of us will get together. Got that?"

All of us, he said.

No matter the occasion, those words managed to make Su-hyeun emotional. He had been feeling somewhat dejected after he already began missing his sworn brothers, so the confident declaration by Sun Wukong instantly brought a faint smile back on his lips. "Yes, let's definitely do that."

"Dude, this is getting too awkward already. Imma head out right now. I hate this sort of drawn-out cringeworthy goodbyes, you know."

Shu-wuwu…

Sun Wukong's figure grew blurry. He was moving onto the next floor.

"Take care of yourself in the meantime, little bro."

With those parting words, Sun Wukong vanished completely from view. It hadn't even been one minute out of the five given.

Luslec scratched his head while staring at the spot where Sun Wukong vanished. "Even until the end, he didn't treat me as his little brother," he muttered to himself and then turned around to speak to Su-hyeun next. "It looks like I must say goodbye as well."

"You mean, right now?"

"Yes. That's why I gotta say this before I leave." Luslec's expression became somewhat dark all of a sudden. His gaze was locked on Su-hyeun's hand, which held the seed given away by the World Tree. "You need to be careful here. The World Tree isn't what it seems on the outside, after all. Since its godhood is ridiculously high-ranked, it would never lie, but that doesn't mean it's on your side, either, Mister Su-hyeun."

"Yes, I'm already aware of that."

"Pardon?"

"Although the World Tree might come across as a good being, in the end, it was the one that came up with the system of this world, after all." Su-hyeun looked at the seed in his hand. "The first and the second missions…Those were designed to make people fight each other, and the participants who died here would become the fertilizer for the seedling World Tree."

Even though the predators were "evil," that didn't automatically make the World Tree "good," either. As proof, the latter had created a system like the one found in this world and the missions to go along with it.

The World Tree was a neutral being, and that was why it could act more rational and logical than any other. The existence that placed more importance on mutual benefits than the lives of thousands, millions, or even billions was none other than the World Tree.

That was why the World Tree neither wanted to aid nor harm Su-hyeun. Its seed was simply the best reward it could hand out, and it appeared today to hand it over to the promised recipient, that's all.

"The World Tree's seed is, without a doubt, the greatest elixir imaginable. I mean, it contains this enormous magical power and life force that can go on to construct a realm on its own, after all. However…" Luslec bit his lower lip before continuing, "When you consume that, Mister Su-hyeun, you could become the fertilizer for the World Tree."

"Fertilizer, you say?"

"All I'm saying is that you might get consumed instead by the World Tree that will sprout from that seed."

Su-hyeun stared at the seed in his hand one more time. From this small thing, the vast world he had witnessed just now would be created.

Honestly speaking, he couldn't even picture it. To think that the moment he ate this, he would end up as a world's fertilizer…

"Although I believe in you, Mister Su-hyeun, I…I'll be honest, I don't recommend eating it."

"Thank you for your advice. I'll engrave it in my heart," Su-hyeun replied.

Luslec could only sigh at that, "I knew it. You've already decided to—"

Wuuung…

Su-hyeun's ears suddenly began ringing loudly. At the same time, his vision grew blurry and indistinct.

Neither the figure of Luslec nor the world he was staring at only a second ago could be seen now. His eyes were now staring at a deserted field somewhere in Germany.

The promised five minutes had gone past already, returning both Su-hyeun and Luslec to their original worlds.

Su-hyeun's hand slowly rose. "Yes."

He lifted the seed with his fingers, brought it to his mouth, and then swallowed it down.

Gulp—

And just like that, the seed that could have created a vast world started its process of getting absorbed into Su-hyeun's body.